A Whole New World
by redbull93
Summary: When Emma Hayes moves to Forks, Washington, she has prepared herself for a dull finish to her high school career.  Little did she know that her new life in Forks would be anything but boring. Jacob/OC R/R! T for language.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

I've always hated moving. I don't see how people can like it: going to a strange town, living in a strange house, going to an unfamiliar school, with dozens of people you have never met before looking you up and down…judging you. I should know; I've gone through this routine dozens of times before.

My mom and dad had gotten a divorce when I was much younger. They split everything in half, including me and my brother, Eric. My dad, an outdoorsy type, obviously chose my brother, who seemed to share his obsession with camping and messing around outside, even at a young age.

I, on the other hand, got to pack my things up time and time again, to "start fresh" whenever one of my mom's boyfriends turned out to be a complete head-case. Not that I mind traveling. Really, I love seeing new places, trying different foods, shopping in amazing gallerias and strip malls around the world. It's the whole new school thing I seem to have a problem with.

My mom's latest romance is a man from Rome, Italy. I actually think this one will last. He seems nice enough, and my mom is head over heels for him. And why shouldn't she be? Rodrigo is handsome, successful, and, of course, rich. They had been dating for about three months when he proposed. The wedding was beautiful. It was an outdoor wedding, and everything was "perfect". The jade green and white of the wedding party was even complimented by the oranges and reds of falling leaves.

Eric was obviously in attendance. I blame him. I really do. If it wasn't for my obnoxious older brother, I would be living (and shopping) in Rome right now, instead of packing for my long, boring plane ride to Forks, Washington.

That's right. Forks, Washington. To live with my dad. How did I get from Rome to Forks? Let me back up. My mother's wedding was in Pennsylvania, our (Most recent) hometown. After the wedding, my mom and I were going to join Rodrigo at his estate in Italy. The instant my brother found this out, he reported it to my dad, who, as it turns out, was not happy about me finishing my education on another continent.

There was this massive fight, and somehow, it was decided, without my input, that I would join my dad and brother in Forks, where they have lived since the divorce. So thanks mom. And dad. And Eric. Really. I'm so excited to be the new girl in another dinky American high school. In a town with less than 10,000 people. Ugh.

My mom told me to find the bright side. Well. At least I'll know the language.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

After countless hours in the air, I finally made it to Washington. It wasn't as bad as I had anticipated, but I think that was only because Rodrigo and his overstuffed wallet had paid for me to fly first class. Now I was sitting in the airport, waiting for my dad and Eric to pick me up. I checked the digital clock on my cell phone and sighed…I had been waiting for ten minutes and counting.

Finally, I saw my dad's tan Ford Focus come into view. I stood up and grabbed two of my overstuffed bags.

"Emma!" my dad called as he got out of the car. "I'm so happy to see you! Welcome to Washington!"

"Thanks dad." I waited while he fumbled with the keys. He finally found the button to pop open the trunk. I tossed my bags in and turned to find Eric staggering under the weight of the remaining suitcases. He threw them in then turned to give me a massive hug.

"I'm so glad you're here! You're gonna love Forks!" he said as he ruffled my hair. I slapped his hand away.

"Come on, Eric!" I complained, "You know I hate that!"

Eric laughed, "Relax little sis."

Little. Psh. He knew I hated when he called me that too. Eric is a year older than me, and, as older brothers do, he never lets me forget it.

After a few more moments of loading the car up, we were headed towards Forks. As my dad drove, I wondered what the tiny town would be like. Questions flooded my thoughts. Would the people be nice? Would I fit in? Would the food be good? How close was the nearest mall? Before I knew it, we passed a sign welcoming us to Forks, and less than two minutes later, we screeched to a stop in front of my dad's house.

My dad and brother helped me carry all my junk upstairs to my new room. My dad's house was moderately sized, but from what I had seen, it was pretty big for Forks. My new room was pretty spacious and, as my brother happily informed me, I had my own bathroom.

I spent most of the afternoon unpacking. I was just about to take a much needed snack break when I heard the door slam, then loud voices from downstairs.

"Em!" I heard Eric call, "Come meet some people!"

I rolled my eyes, checked my hair, and headed down the stairs.

"Mike, Jessica, Angela, Bella, meet my sister, Emma."

"Heeyyy…" I said, dragging out the word, trying to take it all in. These kids looked normal enough.

"Hey babe," Mike crooned. I smirked. Mike= Player. Blond hair, blue eyes, most definitely thought he was the best thing that had happened to Forks.

"Oh. My. God! You are just too cute!" was Jessica's peppy response. I suppressed a laugh: there was no way Jess was much older than I was.

"Hey Emma, welcome to Forks!" was Angela's greeting. She seemed sweet. I noticed my brother glancing at her out of the corner of his eye. Hmmm…I definitely need to keep an eye on that one.

Bella smiled. "Hey. I know how you feel, I was the new girl last fall." she said, "It's overwhelming at first, but things settle down pretty fast."

I was trying to decide who to respond to first when my dad walked in the door.

"Dinner!" He announced.

It looked as though Eric's friends were staying for dinner, since they all made their way to the kitchen. It was going to be a long night.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

I had gotten to Forks on Saturday morning, and after another day of unpacking, I awoke to the shrill sound of my alarm clock. I rolled over and groaned: time for school.

Instead of hitting snooze about a million times like normal, I got out of bed and began my morning ritual: wash face, brush teeth, choose outfit. I jumped when I looked in the mirror. My hair was a mess! It's slightly naturally curly, but since I had showered the previous night, it was a mess of frizz,

After straitening my hair and finishing my makeup, I put on the outfit I chose earlier: Dark blue jeans, my converse, and a dark purple shirt with buttons at the top, which I unbuttoned to reveal my black undershirt. I studied myself in the mirror: strait red hair that went inches below my shoulders, bright green eyes, accented with just a bit of makeup, pale skin with a hint of the tan leftover from summer…all in all, I looked pretty good.

"EMMA! Come on, lazy!"

Pulling myself away from the mirror, I dashed downstairs. After giving my dad a quick hug, I ran outside and hopped into the passenger seat of Eric's old, blue truck, where he was already waiting.

"Finally!" Eric said as he turned out onto Main Street.

"Oh stop it. I heard you leave your room just five minutes before me!"

"Five minutes is a long time to wait!" I just rolled my eyes.

A few minutes later, we pulled into the parking lot of Forks High School. I looked at the clock in the dashboard. 7:30: We had half an hour until first period.

Eric parked, and we walked over to a big hippie-style van where Angela, Jessica, Mike, and a few other kids were hanging out. After being introduced to the people I hadn't met yet, I joined Angela, sitting on the hood of the van.

"Where's Bella?" I asked, after we had greeted each other.

"Bella usually comes to school with Edward," she replied.

"Edward?"

"Her boyfriend. Strange guy…strange family. The Cullens typically keep to themselves, but Edward took an interest in Bella, and now he and three of his siblings sit with us at lunch. Two of his other siblings graduated last year. When they were here, none of them ever talked to us."

"Woah, how many siblings does this guy have?"

"Well, they are all adopted, and, well, together."

"Together? Like, couples?" I was, well, kind of dumbfounded.

Angela nodded, "Like I said, they're a strange family. Rosalie and Emmett were together, but they graduated last year. Alice and Jasper are together, they sit with us, Edward, and Bella."

"Wow." I stuttered. Before I could ask anymore questions, a shiny silver Volvo made its way to an empty parking space. I raised my eyebrows. The car stopped, and the palest guy I had ever seen got out. Bronze hair, golden eyes…Wait golden eyes? Bella hopped out of the passenger seat and took Edward's, I assumed the pale guy was Edward, hand. As they walked towards the school, Edward began to look around. Finally he spotted me, staring at him, with my eyebrows raised.

As he looked at me, confusion covered his face, then concentration; then something that looked a lot like shock. It was a little unnerving to be looked at like that to be perfectly honest.

"Em-ma!" yelled Mike, accenting the –ma in Emma, "Looks like Cullen can't take his eyes off of you! Bella had better watch out!"

I smirked, "Somehow, I don't think you'd mind that, huh Mikey?"

This brought a round of "Ooohh's" and "Burn's" from the surrounding audience, and with that, I slid off the van, smiled at Angela, and made my way towards the front office to pick up my schedule.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

A few weeks have passed since I started at Forks High. After that first day, it's been pretty uneventful. Looking back, I can't believe I was worried about people liking me: Everyone wanted to be my friend. I was content with sitting with Eric and all them at lunch, which I realize puts me in a bad place next year, when they have all graduated. Oh well.

I had formally met Edward and his siblings, Alice and Jasper, at lunch on my first day. They were nice. Alice and I both absolutely loved fashion, so we got along really well. Edward had hardly spoken to me. I caught him looking at me a lot, his face wearing the same look of confusion I had seen my first day. I decided to dismiss it for now.

The bell finally rang, and I darted from my seat, trying to beat the crowd to the lunchroom. Unfortunately, I'm the "New Girl" and everyone felt compelled to talk to me when they saw me. It didn't help that I came to Forks after the fall semester had started; everyone wanted to know why I wasn't there for the start of school, if it was true I came from Rome, and if I had had a boyfriend there. I finally reached our table.

"Ugh. Bella, when did the whole New Girl thing wear off?" I asked as I set my bag on the back of an empty chair before collapsing in it. I looked around the table. "Where's Bella?"

Come to think of it, the Cullens weren't there either. "What's going on?"

"Edward and Bella broke up." Angela explained, "Dr. and Mrs. Cullen had to move, and Edward, Jasper, and Alice had to go with them. Bella is heartbroken. She won't talk to anyone."

I glanced over at a table that was typically empty. Bella was sitting by herself looking absolutely miserable. I stood up and made my way over to her.

"Go away," she said when I reached her table, "I don't want to talk to anyone about it."

"Bella-"

"Go away, Emma."

I turned and walked away. The next few months were exactly the same way: I would try to talk to her, get snapped at, and leave. Every once in awhile, Bella seemed to be doing a bit better; she would eat a little, and some life seemed to be back in her eyes. She still wouldn't talk to any of us.

I was getting fed up with her. I really was. I understood she loved him, but she stopped the rest of her life when he moved.

I sighed as I watched Bella trudge into the lunchroom, looking down. She needed to have some sense talked into her, and since no one else was willing to do it, well, I guess it's up to me. Instead of confronting her during school, I waited until that night.

"Dad, I'm going out with Bella."

"Ok, honey have fun!"

Since Eric had finally grown a pair and asked Angela on a date, the car was gone. I walked the few short blocks to Bella's house and knocked on the door. Her dad, Charlie, answered.

"Hi, Chief Swan, my name is Emma Hayes, Michael Hayes daughter. I'm here to see Bella."

Charlie looked surprised. Then he smiled. "I'm glad you're here," he said softly, "I've been so worried about her since that, that, lowlife left her. She's upstairs, first door on the right."

I thanked Charlie, bounded up the stairs, and knocked on Bella's door.

"Hey, Bella, it's Emma. Can I come in?"

"Emma? Please leave."

Now I was angry. I could feel my temper rising. I have an awful temper. I blame the red hair.

"No, Bella," I almost shouted, "This has gone far enough! You have been moping and feeling sorry for yourself for months now, and why? HE'S GONE! He hurt you, I know! But the fact is that he left! So why are you letting him dictate your life? This is getting absolutely ridiculous! Your grades are suffering, you've lost all your friends, your poor father is worried sick about you, but all you want to do is sit and pout. Stop being so selfish and get your life back!"

I stopped talking and took a deep breath. I looked at the closed door, rolled my eyes, and made my way back down the hall. I was almost to the stairs when I heard a door open behind me.

"Emma," came Bella voice, "I loved him. So, so much."

I turned to find Bella standing in her doorway, tears running down her face. I turned and wrapped her in a hug. "It will be alright, I promise. You just have to get back out there, be strong, you know? It will get better."

Half an hour later, we were sitting on her bed, eating ice cream from a giant tub and chatting.

"I've been going to La Push," Bella suddenly blurted out.

"The reservation?"

"Yes. My friend, Jake, he lives there. He makes me feel a little better. Like a band-aid, or a pain killer. But the second I get back here, the wound is re-opened. The pain comes back."

"I'm glad you found someone to confide in. But you don't have to go all the way to La Push to find people to take care of you, you know?"

"It's not that long of a drive…"

"Bella."

We looked at each other and started laughing. It was the first time Bella had laughed in a long time. Once it started, we couldn't stop. We talked and gossiped for a few more hours, and then I headed home, telling Bella she had better call me.

I spent Saturday doing homework and cleaning. Around 6 that night, my cell phone buzzed.

**From: Bella**

**Thanks for last night. I needed that. Want to see La Push? Going tonight. Let me know.**

I smiled and rushed to ask my dad, who, of course, said yes.

**From: Emma**

**I can go! What time? I have no ride. Eric's w/ Angela…Again.**

**From: Bella**

**I'll pick you up in about 15 minutes, sound good?**

**From: Emma**

**I'll be waiting!**

I snapped my phone shut and ran to my room. I pulled my long hair into a ponytail, pulling a few strands loose towards the front to accent my face and bangs. I put on some makeup, and changed from my sweats and oversized t-shirt to jeans, a black tank, and an unbuttoned flannel shirt. I tied my converse and grabbed my cell and hoodie right as Bella pulled up outside.

"Adios dad!"

"Text me when you get there safely!"

"For sure!" I yelled as a slammed the front door. I made my way to Bella's old red truck and hopped in the front seat.

"We need music," I said as Bella turned onto the road to La Push. I looked for her radio, but there was only a large hole in her dash where one used to be. I glanced at Bella, and after seeing the look on her face decided to drop it. We talked instead. We made it to La Push and the reservation in about twenty minutes.

We got out of the truck and looked at the small house in front of us.

"This is Charlie's friend, Billy's, house. Jake is his son."

"Bella!" A boy had come around from the back of the house, and upon seeing Bella, he ran forward, and grabbed her in a massive bear hug.

"Jake! Put me down!" Bella laughed.

I smiled as Bella lead "Jake" over to me.

"Jake, this is Emma. Emma, meet Jacob."


	5. Chapter 5

**Hey everyone! No, I haven't forgotten about this story. Ironically, I was in Seattle and the surrounding area these past few days! I will update as soon as possible! Please review, I love hearing your opinions!**

Chapter 5

Jacob stepped back to take a nice, long look at me. I gave him the once over as well. Long black hair, tan skin, bulging biceps; for lack of a better word, he was hot.

I stuck my hand out, "Nice to meet you, Jacob." He smiled (his smile was amazing as well) and pulled me into a quick hug. "Any friend of Bella's is a friend of mine!"

"Good to know," I replied. "So….what do you guys typically do when you hang out?"

"Well, I usually work on my Rabbit while Bella stands by, awestruck by my mechanical genius," Jacob replied, flashing a smile at Bella. I could already see he had a massive crush on her.

"Oh shut up!" Bella playfully shoved Jake's shoulder. They were really comfortable together. I could tell he made Bella feel good; I finally recognized the girl I had met months ago when I first came to Forks. "We don't have to do that this time though, if you don't want to Em," she continued.

"Sounds fine to me-I want to see if this kid is a good as he says."

"Kid? I bet I'm older than you!"

"I'll be seventeen in June."

"Ha! I'll be seventeen in a month. I win!"

I smirked, "Well damn."

"Watch your mouth, Red!"

This time I was the one to smack his arm, "Hey now! Watch the ginger jokes, bud!"

Bella laughed, "I thought you two would get along!"

Friendly banter aside, we made our way to the garage, where Jake immediately went to work restoring his old Rabbit. Bella and I sat near him and made small talk for awhile. As simple as it was, I was actually having tons of fun. Bella was back to her old self, if not more outgoing, and Jake was hilarious. I felt as though I had known him my entire life.

We had been watching Jake work for awhile when two more boys walked into the room.  
"Quil! Embry! Jake said from his spot near the Rabbit, "Bella brought a friend."

"Emma," I said when they looked at me.

"Hey," the taller of the two said, "I'm Embry."

The other whistled, "Damn Jake, you do know how to pick 'em!" This statement led to Jake pouncing on the boy, whom I assumed was Quil, and playfully taunting him as they wrestled.

"Ten bucks on Jake," Embry whispered to me and Bella.

When the brawl was over, and Embry had collected his money from Bella and me, I finally looked at the time. "Oh wow! Bella, it's almost midnight! My dad is gonna kill me!"

After giving Quil, Embry, and Jake my cell number, Bella and I headed home.

"That was tons of fun! Thanks for taking me. Jake and his friends are really nice."

"Yea, they really are. I'm glad you got to meet them. You have to come with me the next time I go up there."

"Of course!"

We rode in silence the rest of the way home. It was well after midnight when we reached my street. I hopped out of the truck, said goodbye to Bella, and hurried inside. As I expected, my dad was waiting by the door. Here we go.

"Do you have any idea what time it is young lady? There is no reason for you to be out so late and not let me know! I was worried sick!"

"Dad, you knew where I was and you never told me what time I needed to be home. If you were worried, you should have called. You know I always have my phone on me."

My dad sighed, "I suppose you have a point. I'm just not used to having two of you to look after. In the future, call me if you're going to be out later than midnight, and I will decide where we go from there. Got it?"

"Yes, sir."

"Good. Now get to bed."

After stopping by Eric's room to ask how his date with Angela was, (absolutely amazing) I took a long, hot shower, changed into my favorite sweats, made a cup of hot chocolate, and snuggled under my sheets with the latest book I was required to read for A.P. English: "Moby Dick".

After fifteen excruciating minutes of reading, I looked up to find snow falling fast outside my window. I remembered that I never found out if Bella had gotten home safely. I grabbed my cell phone from the nightstand next to my bed and looked at the screen.

**Five New Messages**

I hit the **View **button and opened the first message.

**From: Bella**

**Hey Em, I got home alright. I hope you didn't get into too much trouble for being out so late. Text me tomorrow. Good night!**

That was pretty self explanatory. I moved on to the next message.

**From: Unknown Number**

**Hey Emma, Quil here. We are having a massive bonfire on the res tomorrow night. You should come. Bring Bella. Txt back!**

**To: Quil**

**Hey Quil! I have to check with my dad, but I think I can make it! What time?**

I didn't know the sender of the next text either.

**From: Unknown Number**

**Emma? It's Embry. I enjoyed meeting you tonight! I think Quil is gonna invite you and Bella to the bonfire tomorrow night. You should definitely come! See you then, ok?**

**To: Embry**

**I enjoyed meeting you too! I really hope I can make it to the bonfire! Hope to see you there!**

The next number I knew.

**From: Mike**

**Hey babe. Movie tomorrow?**

Ugh. Not again! I smirked as I responded:

**To: Mike**

**Already have plans. Another night, if you're nice.**

Thank you Indian boys!

The final text was from an unknown number as well. I noticed the time it was sent: 1:57am. Only two minutes ago. I was surprised; I didn't know many other people who willingly stayed up this late.

**From: Unknown Number**

**Hey Red. Guess who! ;)**

I smiled. I knew exactly who this was from.

**To: Unknown Number**

**Red? Psh! You just gave your identity away. You need to work on your disguises kid! ;)**

I snapped the phone shut, and tried to immerse myself in "Moby Dick". Less than two minutes later, my phone buzzed. I hesitated; then made up my mind: Jake was more interesting than a stupid whale. Much more interesting. I threw the book to the side and picked my phone up.


	6. Chapter 6

**Ok, I FINALLY UPDATED! YAY! Again, sorry for the wait, I've been b-u-s-y. Anyways, I hope you enjoy this chapter. Sorry if it's a bit slow; I'm still trying to develop characters and all.**

**Thanks to everyone who added this story to their alerts or favorites! I really appreciate it! **

**Keep reading and please REVIEW!**

Chapter 6

"Emma? Emma? Emma! Wake up!"

I moaned, keeping my eyes shut. "Eric. Today is my day to sleep in. Why are you waking me up so early?"

"Early? Em, it's almost two in the afternoon!"

My eyes flew open. "WHAT?"

"Don't believe me? Check for yourself. Oh, and call Bella back, she keeps calling for you," he added as he left, shutting the door behind him.

I sat up and reached for my phone to check the time, but it wasn't on my nightstand where I usually put it to charge. I looked around, and found it sitting next to me on my bed. Odd.

I flipped it open and looked at the time. Eric was right: it was two in the afternoon. Why did I sleep so late? Then I remembered: Jake. I had been up texting him till about 4. Speaking of texts, my phone was informing me I had 10 new messages. Wait, ten? Woah. I hit **View** and read the messages.

Mike had answered that there was no way I had anything better to do on a Sunday night. I rolled my eyes. Quil and Embry both asked if I was coming to the bonfire tonight, oh the bonfire! That's right! Six of the messages were from Bella, wanting to know if I could come, why I wasn't answering, and eventually informing me she was calling my house.

The remaining message was from Jake. I saved it for last, I was kind of nervous…I wasn't sure what I had said at 4am.

**From: Jake**

**Haha lame question. Green, if you must know. Ok, my turn…why did you move to Forks?**

OH! Now I remembered. Twenty Questions. I had asked him his favorite color.

I hit **Reply** instantly.

**To: Jake**

**Sorry, I kinda passed out on you last night. How about you find me at the bonfire and I'll tell you then?**

Ok, so I was flirting a bit. I knew he liked Bella, but I couldn't help it! He was nice and funny…and hot.

Feeling slightly guilty, I called Bella to get the details about the bonfire. We were in the middle of our conversation when my door opened to reveal my dad. Oops, I forgot to ask him if I could go.

"Hey dad," I said after telling Bella I would be right back, "can I go to a bonfire in La Push with Bella tonight? Some of her reservation friends invited us."

My dad's look was reserved. "I don't think I want you and Bella driving all the way to La Push and back in this weather…"

I looked out the window and rolled my eyes. There was a slight dusting of the snow from last night covering the ground. Not bad at all.

When I pointed this out to my dad, his face hardened. "I guess I don't see why not," he finally responded, "but I have one condition. You have to take Eric."

So three hours later, Bella, and Eric-who invited Angela, who invited Jessica, who invited (groan) Mike- and I were on the road to La Push.

After what seemed like forever, we arrived at the reservation.

Bella stopped the car and we all got out. I looked around. We were in a large clearing a few miles from the town. We could see the glow of a bonfire towards the middle of the clearing. As we walked closer to the fire, I got a better look at our surroundings.

There were dozens of picnic tables all around the clearing, groaning under the weight of chips, pretzels, gram crackers, chocolate, marshmallows, and much more. On the far side of the clearing, people gathered around a bunch of coolers, loaded with various drinks, trying to decide what kind they were in the mood for. There were a surprising amount of loudspeakers for a party held by reservations kids, all of which were blasting music. I could feel the rhythm of the bass as we walked.

All around us, people were laughing, talking, dancing, and eating. Most people who weren't at the bonfire, roasting marshmallows or hot dogs, were swallowed up by some sort of mosh pit that had formed closer to the speakers. I didn't even want to think of the kind of "dance moves" that were going on over there. The whole thing kind of reminded me of a less formal version of a high school dance. Except that the food actually looked good, and the music was halfway decent.

Oh, and I hardly knew anyone.

Our little group paused when we neared the picnic tables, unsure what to do next.

"Bella! Emma!"

I turned towards the sound of my name and was enveloped into a hug by an excited Embry. I squeezed him back, smiling. I loved how well I fit in with the La Push kids!

I let go of Embry and looked at the others. Bella was hugging Jacob (typical), Eric was looking at me surprised (protective older brother, I'm guessing), Angela was smiling at me and Embry (because that's just how she is), Jessica looked somewhat jealous (yes, a hot guy just hugged me and didn't pay any attention to you. Get over it.), and Mike looked pretty pissed (I guess because he thought I had decided not to go to the movie with him tonight because of hot La Push guys. Eh. It was kinda true).

"Guys, this is Embry. Embry, meet Jessica, Mike, Angela, and my brother, Eric." I said, pointing to each, respectively. Embry nodded at them.

By that time, Bella and Jake had let go of each other. She introduced everyone to Jake, then Quil as he walked up, with a freshly roasted hot dog in hand.

With introductions out of the way, we all moved closer to the bonfire, weaving in and out of picnic tables. I walked a bit slower than everyone else, taking it all in.

"Hey Red." I looked up.

"Hey, Jake. Way to keep me up last night."

"I believe it was you, keeping me up."

"Nope. I fell asleep first, meaning you were the one keeping me up."

Ok, fake arguing. I was flirting. I shouldn't be doing this, he likes Bella.

"But I couldn't fall asleep until you stopped talking to me, so I think that makes you the distraction, Red."

But he was flirting right back.

I playfully knocked my shoulder into his arm. Wow, I hadn't noticed we were walking that close.

"Ha! I think that shove was you giving in," he flashed me that amazing smile. "Speaking of last night, you never answered my last question.

So he remembered. Why did that make me somewhat…happy?

'You remembered. My mom moved to Italy. My dad didn't want me overseas, so I got stuck with Forks. Not that interesting really."

We stopped at one of the few picnic table not completely covered in food. I hopped up onto the table, placing my feet on the bench below.

"Well, I'll admit, I was expecting something a bit more dramatic, coming from you," he sat down next me to. "But I'm glad you came."

My stomach dropped. I looked at him, my green eyes meeting his brown ones. "Why?"

"Bella. You finally got her to live again. I was working on it, but I was too scared to just tell it to her like it was."

"And I did?"

"Yea, you did. Mind if I ask why you did? I mean, you had only known her for a few months."

"Ummm…." I stalled. I had never really thought of it. "I guess I just got really pissed off. Then I opened my big mouth. That's usually how it goes with me."

"Well, either way, thanks."

"Anytime." I murmered.

We sat in silence for a few minutes, and then the music changed to a song with a catchy, upbeat rhythm. The mosh pit went wild.

"I like this song," Jake said.

"It's alright," I agreed.

We sat in silence a few seconds longer before Jake hopped off of the table. "I'm going to go dance with Bella. Nice talking to you, Em."

"Bella doesn't dance," I warned, but he was already gone. I sighed. Ugh. I put my head against my thighs, facedown. Why was I flirting with him? Flirting can easily lead to real feelings, and he was so obviously hot for Bella. I was BELLA'S friend, and I wanted her to be ok again; Jake was helping with that. Eventually she would fall for him as well. And that's good right? Of course it is! I was arguing silently with myself.

Why was I feeling so jealous then? I mean, I really thought then when he said he was glad I had come… NO! I am NOT jealous of Bella and Jacob. That's insane!

I was trying to convince myself. "It was just because he's cute and you haven't had a boyfriend in awhile. Yea. That's it!"

I looked up to find Bella laughing as Jake "danced" with the rest of our friends at the edge of the mosh pit. My stomach dropped for the second time that night as I felt a pang of jealously. "It's just because you've been single for so long," I repeated in my head. It sounded so ridiculously weak, but it was all I had to keep from falling further.


	7. Chapter 7

**Hey everyone! Sorry for taking so long to update! I have been doing my summer reading to get ready for school. I have a test my first day of class. How stupid is that? **

**Anyways! I had a lot of trouble with this chapter, but I hope you enjoy it!**

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Chapter 7

I still had my head in my lap a few minutes later when I heard my name. I looked up.

"Embry," I patted the space on the table next to me, making room for my visitor.

I waited as Embry sat down where Jake had been moments before.

"You know, the whole Jake and Bella thing is never gonna happen, right?"

'What? Why would I are about that?"

"You were staring."

Oops. While I had been waiting for him to sit down, my gaze had wondered back towards Jake and all of our friends. I thought I was being subtle. Apparently, I was wrong.

"Well, as much as I appreciate your opinion, I have to disagree."

"Come on, Em, you've been going to Forks High for awhile now. You know better than any of us on the reservation, that Bella and that Edward guy were practically inseparable."

"Embry, Edward has been gone for months now. His family moved. He's not coming back. Jake obviously likes Bella, and she's almost to a place where she can move on as well. Its' only a matter of time."

"Ummm…I believe it was you, not Bella, he was up texting until four in the morning last night."

"You know about that?"

"I was at his house. He kept giving the phone this dopy smile while he was texting. It was kinda funny…and slightly nauseating. I've known Jake for a long time, Em. Believe me when I say, he's different when he's around you. Don't; ask me to explain it, because I can't; he's just, I don't know, different. A good different."

I looked at him closely. What was it about this kid that made me want to confide in him? At first glance, he didn't seem all that special. Longish black hair, deep brown eyes, and tan skin made his general appearance not unlike the other reservation boys, though he was taller and thinner than his friends. He had a small, white scar right above his left eyebrow. The contrast between the scar and the color of his skin was startling when you really looked at it. He had soft, caring eyes. They reminded me of Eric's. He was wearing a simple blue t-shirt and a navy hoodie, jeans, and converse. His appearance was so simple, yet his face wore a look of compassion unlike anything I had seen in long time. I suppose it was his simplicity, the raw emotion on his face that made me feel vulnerable, like he could see right through me. That scared me, but it also drew me to him.

I picked at a fingernail, uncomfortable. Part of me wanted to tell him about what I was feeling towards Jacob, but I held back. I hardly knew this kid. He was looking at me, waiting for a response, so I did the only thing I could do in this position: I changed the subject.

"So, how did you get that scar above your left eye?"

A few weeks had passed since the bonfire. I had been forcing myself to talk to Jacob less and less, although he made it difficult by texting me often. He and Bella seemed to be getting closer, and I refused to get my hopes up.

Embry and I had talked a lot over the past few weeks as well. I had come to see him like a brother. It felt good to have someone to confide in. I had eventually gotten around to venting to him about my Jake/Bella/The Crush dilemma, and it felt good to hear his opinion. I returned the favor, listening and giving him advise when he needed the help. I visited him on the reservation often, and it had become one of my favorite places to be. It felt more like home than Forks did.

Unfortunately, the amount of time I had gotten to spend there had been severely limited the past few weeks. I think the majority of our teachers had some sort of meeting in which they decided to all but drown us in homework. They say junior year is the hardest academic year. I have recently discovered that this is a massive understatement. I didn't really mind it though, as the intense work load kept my mind off of something else…someone else.

Towards the end of February, a pipe burst in Forks High, flooding the first floor of the building, and consequently treating the FHS population to a few "mental health days". Bella and I decided to visit our reservation friends with our newfound freedom, as we hadn't been there in awhile.

The second Bella's old red truck screeched to a stop in front of Jacob's house, I knew something was wrong. Nothing seemed out of place at first glance: Jake's house looked as small and cozy as ever, there were dark cloud threatening rain overhead, and the gravel had crunched beneath the trucks wheels upon out entrance, same as always. But there was one major difference: Quil and Jake were, as usual, messing around in the front yard, but Embry was nowhere to be seen. Come to think of it, I hadn't heard from him in over a week. I had been so busy, I had hardly noticed.

I realized Bella had left the truck during my silent recognition, and hurried to catch up. When I reached my friends, Jake and Quil were already filling Bella in on what had happened to Embry. Here's what I got from it: Basically this reservation man, Sam, had been forming some sort of odd gang over the past few years. The boys wanted nothing to do with them. Then, Embry had missed a few days of school, and the next time Jake or Quil had seen him, he had chopped off all of his hair, gotten a tattoo, had randomly sprouted all sorts of muscles, and was suddenly only hanging out with Sam and his gang.

I couldn't believe it. Kind, caring Embry, my best friend, part of some sort of gang? With a tattoo? Something was really off. I had to figure out what it was. I had to talk some sense into him!

I turned on my friends and stalked off in the direction of Embry's house. No one bothered to ask where I was going or what I was doing; they all knew. I honestly think most of them were scared for Embry. They, of all people knew what I would do when my temper got the best of me; Bella was living proof.

I finally reached Embry's tiny house. I marched up the three pathetic steps to the saggy front porch and pounded my fist against the door. When no one answered, I started yelling.

"Embry! I know you're in there! You better open this door right now or so help me I will—"

I was cut off as the door opened to reveal Embry. It was all I could do to keep my jaw from completely dropping to the ground. Jacob and Quil had been right: I hardly recognized this version of the boy who had come to be like a brother to me over the course of a few weeks.

His long hair had indeed been cut short, there was, as Jake had said, a tattoo on his right shoulder, and he was immensely more muscular than I remembered him. It was easy to tell: He was wearing only a pair of worn out jeans. But the biggest change was in his eyes. The formerly kind expression I had come to know and love had been replaced by…resentment? Fear? I couldn't tell.

"Embry…" I gasped, "What happened to you? Why did you do this? How did you do this?" I motioned to his extremely well defined biceps, "What did they do to you?" All my anger was gone. Tears filled my eyes.

"Emma," he reached out and laid a hand on my shoulder, pulling me into a hug. I shuddered. His skin felt like it was on fire. Another change I wasn't too fond of. "You have to understand. This wasn't my choice!"

"What do you mean?" I pulled back, looking him in the eye.

"Believe me, this wasn't what I wanted. I never wanted to be this. But I was destined for it, I guess. There's not much I can do about it now."

"About WHAT? You aren't explaining anything!"

"Emma, I can't tell you. You have no idea how much I want to, I mean, you're like my sister. It would be nice if you knew. But it's not something I can tell you." He paused, deep in thought. "There is a way…we have to look past the obvious…" he muttered, more to himself then to me.

"Embry, you're scaring me. What's going on?"

"I told you! I can't explain. You'll have to figure it out for yourself. I got it! Ask Jacob about Quileute legends next time you see him. I know you can put it together. But until you do, I can't see you. We can't be friends anymore, Em. At least for the time being"

My tears finally began to fall. I was so confused, and it seemed like I was losing my best friend for reasons even he couldn't explain.

"Please," he said, as he pulled my into a final hug. Ask Jacob about the legends. Research it. Put it all together. I know you can. Just know, it's not ordinary. You won't believe it at first. Remember, the impossible may just be possible."

With that, my best friend walked into the house and shut the door in my face.

I finally had a better understanding on what Bella felt like when someone she cared about deeply left.

In that moment, all I could think about was getting away, so I spun on my heels, and sprinted into the surrounding woods, not sure exactly where I was going, or where I was going to end up.


	8. Chapter 8

**Hey everyone! Sorry for the long wait. I had a lot of trouble with this chapter, but I ended up liking it for the most part. **

**Sorry for the lack of long-ness. **

**Anyways! Enjoy and REVIEW!**

Chapter 8

I ran until I couldn't run anymore. Somehow, I ended up sitting on the damp forest ground, with my back against an old, weathered tree. It was there I paused, taking time to let the tears fall freely, and to think about what Embry had told me.

"The impossible might just be possible," I muttered. What a load of bull. He gave me some riddle, and then slammed the door in my face. Who does that?

With this thought, my sadness was replaced by anger. I picked up a moderately sized rock lying by the base of the tree and threw it as hard as I could, as I let loose a loud, frustrated scream.

"Woah, there!" a voice called out. Then Jacob came stumbling into view with his arms raised above his head: the classic position I had seen dozens of times in old cop movies and melodramas.

"I know you're pissed at Embry and all, but let's not take it out on the general public, huh, Red?"

"Jacob? Oh my God! Did I hit you? I'm so sorry, I really didn't mean to! I…" I paused and looked at my surroundings. There were miles and miles of trees, bark, and brush all around me. It all looked the same. Had I decided I was ready to go back to Jake's house, I never would have been able to find my way. You couldn't even see the sky above the massive tree tops. "Wait, how did you even find me?"

"Well, I wanted to see you tell Embry off, Bella told me you're good at it, and God knows he needs it, and got there in just enough time to see him slam the door in your face. I can see why you ran off…that must have hurt; I know you two were close." He paused, and when I said nothing, he continued: "Anyways, I figured you might want some help finding your way out of here since you don't know the area very well yet, so I ran after you. I thought I'd wait back there and give you some time to think things through. That is, until you decided to start throwing things at me. I'm lucky you have bad aim, because that was one hell of a throw. Can I sit with you?"

I just stared at him. I mean, really. What was there to say? I didn't feel like talking, and to be honst, I sort of wanted to know what he would do.

He took my silence as permission to join me on the ground. He leaned up against the tree and put his arm around me, pulling me closer to him. My heart started thumping, and it seemed as though all my senses were suddenly able to pick up on so much more than before.

I noticed the deep brown of his eyes, staring into mine, the perfect symmetry of his lips, unmoving for one of the first times since I'd met him. I noticed the way his brow furrowed as he thought of something to say.

He smelled like the surrounding pine needles, with a trace of the Old Spice I was sure he had put on that morning. His arms were tan and muscular; something about them just made me feel secure as he comforted me. His plain cotton t-shirt, made soft by years of being washed, and his faded blue jeans just added to what made Jacob, Jacob.

He spoke first, stumbling over the words. "I know it sucks to lose a friend, but, at least you have us, you know? I mean, me and Bella and Quil? We're here for you too. And you're there for us right? We don't need him."

"Are you trying to convince me, or you?"

He sighed. "I don't know, Em. I just don't know."

As we sat in silence, I couldn't help but notice how perfectly I fit into his arms. It seemed as though I had been made just for him. Like two pieces of a puzzle. I wondered if he felt it too.

Though part of me never wanted this moment to end, my more reasonable half knew I had some unfinished business to attend to.

"Jake? Can you help me with something?"

I lifted my face up to get a better look at him. He was resting against the tree, eyes shut. He looked completely content, so perfectly peaceful.

"Mmmm…" he murmered.

I took a deep breath, preparing to sound completely out of my mind. "I need to know the history of your tribe."


	9. Chapter 9

**Hey everyone! I know I say this every chapter, but I'm sooo sorry for the wait! School is killing me this semester! Thanks for being so patient!**

**Thanks to all who added this story to their alerts/favorites.**

**A HUGE thanks for reviews! They inspired me to write this after a massive load of homework!**

**Thanks again! Enjoy!**

Chapter 9

"You want to know the what?"

"The history of your tribe?" It sounded like a question, not a statement.

"Why in the world would you want to know that?" Jacob had moved from his relaxed, calm position. He was now looking right at me, a look of confusion and humor on his face.

"Just something Embry said to me."

Suddenly the humor was gone, replaced by an intense look that was so un-Jacob like that it caught me off guard. "What exactly do you want to know?"

"I don't know, Jake. A legend or something? Something everyone in your tribe knows...?" I had no idea what I was talking about, what I was looking for, and Jake knew it. I almost expected him to laugh in my face and leave, but something made him stay. He thought for a moment, and then finally spoke.

"Well, there is one. Did you know that the Quileutes are supposedly descended from wolves?"

"Wolves?"

"Sure. See, when our ancestors…" Jacob continued on with the story of how the founders of his tribe had a special bond with wolves, how they lived among them in harmony, and how they were able to live inside of the wolf.

His story was fascinating. He added all the right details, had all the right inflections in his voice to make it seem real, lifelike, believable. Like something that could actually happen outside of storybooks and fairytales.

I became so immersed in the story that I almost forgot my reason for having asked to hear it in the first place. Until Jacob mentioned the Cold Ones. In the story, the Cold Ones had come and terrorized the people of the tribe. They were pale, ice cold, hard, lightening fast, and viscously murderous. Their diet consisted of blood. They were Vampires.

One of them, a man, came and began to terrorize the people, and Jake's great, great, so on and so forth, grandfather had basically transformed into a wolf, in order to fight off the Cold One and defend the Quileute tribe. Eventually, the Cold One's mate came back to avenge his death, but once again, the wolves prevailed.

" So, whenever the Cold Ones are near, the descendents of the shape-shifters are supposed to transform again, to protect the tribe and the people near them," Jacob finished. I just stared, awestruck.

"Wow," I finally managed to murmur. "That was a great story! You described the Cold Ones so well… pale and cold, hard as stone! I mean, they almost remind me of…" my voice trailed off.

The Cullens.

No. There was no way. There was no way that Embry was trying to tell me that the Cullens were vampires. Because if the Cullens were vampires, that would meant that the descendents of the wolf-men would start to change…Embry.

I started arguing with myself in my head again…I seemed to be doing that a lot lately, only this time, it wasn't about Jacob.

This is a child's tale, there is no way it can be true!

But Embry said that it would seem pretty unbelievable at first.

Unbelievable? No! That is such a huge understatement! This is a whole new kind of crazy!

But what if it's true?

It can't be.

But what if it is?

"Emma?" Jacob's concerned voice brought me back to reality. "Are you ok? You're really pale."

I sighed. "I'm just tired. Thanks for the story, but I think I should be getting home. Can you help me find my way out of here?"

"Sure." He stood up, and offered me his hand. I grasped it and stood. Together we made our way out of the immense web of trees, vines, and moss.

Jacob left me with Bella, who assured him she would make sure I rested that evening. She seemed worried too. I guess I was still really pale.

Bella dropped me off in front of my house. She offered to stay, but I knew she had already made plans to go to the movies with some of our school group and Jacob. I had been invited, but I was no longer in to mood to see my friends. I needed some time to think.

Luckily, my house was empty. Eric was visiting Angela, who had the flu, and my dad was meeting a friend for dinner.

I made my way up to my room. I gathered my things, and then retreated to the bathroom to take a nice long shower. It was there that my mental battle from earlier resumed. After a good half hour or so, when the water started to get cold, I realized I was getting nowhere. Frustrated, I turned off the water, put on my favorite pair of sweats, and took some ibuprofen for the massive headache I had developed.

I watched TV for a bit, but even that couldn't keep my mind off of Jacob's tale and Embry's rhymes.

I finally gave up on the TV and, feeling worn out; I decided to go to bed early.

I trudged up the stairs to my room and shut my door behind me. I paused on my way to my bed. Something wasn't right. I could feel it. I heard a noise behind me and gasped as realization hit me.

Someone was in my room.


	10. Chapter 10

**Reviews are lovely! Enjoy!**

Chapter 10

I slowly turned around, ready to defend myself from the intruder. Instead, I found myself face to face with…Embry?

"You!" I yelled. Then I raised my hand. I was angry. Really angry. I was angry because of the lies, I was angry about the crazy stories, I was angry that he had snuck into my room and scared me, but most of all I was furious that everything was spinning out of my control.

My hand came down on Embry's face, hard. My hand stung. Much to my dismay, my slap did not seem to affect him, physically, at least.

"I take it Jake told you?" was all he said.

"Yes, he did. And it all seems like a load of bullshit to me. I mean, come on Embry! Do you really expect me to believe that you're ditching me because you've turned into some mythical figure? How old do you think I am?" I was shouting, pacing; remembering what it was like to feel something other than sorry for myself.

"You know it's the truth, Emma. That's why you're so upset. And I'm not the only one it's going to happen to. The others are going to start changing too…as long as the Cullens and the other bloodsuckers are around. Yes, I know you figured that part out too."

The fact that he was so calm was just pissing me off more. I was just about ready to slap him again, until I realized that one of the "others" he was talking about was Jake. I collapsed on the bed, defeated. When would this nightmare end?

"When did everything take a turn for the crazy?" I asked.

Embry sat next to me. "That's exactly what I was thinking. I'm sorry for lying to you, but I wasn't allowed to tell. And I know this is a lot to handle, but you can't tell anyone either, ok?"

I looked at him, long and hard. Out of everything we had shared with each other over the past few weeks, I knew he was most vulnerable right now. He needed something solid and unchanging in his life, not someone who was completely shell-shocked and feeling sorry for herself all the time. No, I would save the disbelief and bewilderment for when I was alone. For now, I would be the one thing in his life that didn't change.

I smirked. "If I don't, will you go all wolf on me? Or do you have to wait for the full moon for that part?"

I watched his eyes light up as he racked his brain for a decent comeback. My best friend was back!

We spent the next few hours downing a mountain of junk food and watching movies that fell into the "it's so stupid, it's funny" category. For awhile, I forgot all about my recent venture into the world of make-believe.

We were about halfway through "The Hangover" when Embry suddenly tensed up, listening hard. I pushed pause on the remote and watched him closely.

"Emma. Don't move."

"What do you hear?"

"It's not what I hear…it's what I smell."

I waited for an explanation.

"Vampire."

My stomach dropped. I would have been lying if I had said I wasn't afraid.

"Cullens?" I asked.

"No. We know their scents. I'm not going to lie to you, Emma, this could be dangerous."

"Is it in my house?" I almost didn't want to know the answer.

"No… I don't think so. It passed by out back a few moments ago. I need to check this out. Don't move."

I watched, petrified, as he stole silently from the room. The moments he was gone felt like an eternity; I felt the knot in the pit of my stomach loosen when he returned to the room just as quietly as he had gone.

"Well?" I whispered.

"Bella's house," was the response.

"Bella's house? What would a vampire want with Bella?"

"She dated on remember?" came the whispered reply, "she obviously knew Edward's secret. Something must have happened. Bella is not safe there. Not tonight anyways." Embry paused, and then muttered, more to himself than to me, "But how can we get her out for a whole night?"

"Leave that to me."

"What?"

"We always have sleepover. She won't think twice about it."

"I can't ask you to put yourself at risk like that."

"Come on Embry, you know it's the most logical way. If Bella stays here, then she can call and tell Charlie to stay at Billy's. They had a late dinner after fishing all day anyways. He's already there, so it would be logical for him to stay. It will keep them both safe."

"The vampire could track her scent here. Then you would both be screwed."

"Wasn't the whole point to keep her away from where we KNOW the vampire is?"

"If you kept Bella away, it would give the pack room to work…" he murmured. I could tell I just about had him convinced.

"Well it's settled then. Time to save the bestie from a vampire attack," I stated, as I punched Bella's cell phone number into my phone.


	11. Chapter 11

**HERE IT IS! FINALLY! SORRY FOR THE REALLY LONG WAIT! **

Chapter 11

I jumped when my doorbell rang. I had been sitting on the couch in our living room extremely tense. Embry had left shortly after I got a hold of Bella to fill in the rest of the pack. Even though he promised that he would not be far off, I couldn't help but feel like I was being watched. You could have cut the tension in that room with a knife.

I jumped up to get the door, but stopped short when I was hit by a sudden jolt of fear. What if it was a trap?

I pulled out my cell phone and sent Bella a quick text.

**To: Bella**

**Hey, when you get here, just come on in. The key is under the welcome mat.**

I pressed send then sat back down, wondering why everyone put their spare key under the welcome mat. It was so cliché and obvious! I made a mental note to find another hiding place for that key.

Less than a minute after I texted her, Bella walked in the front door.

"Emma? Are you here? Why do you have all of the lights out?"

I breathed a sigh of relief and ran over to turn on the lights.

"Bella!" I yelled, happy to see her alive and well.

"Umm…Emma!" Bella replied laughing. "Thanks for inviting me over! Looks like you've been having a good time."

I looked around the room. I hadn't bothered to pick up the mess of junk food Embry and I had been pigging out on just an hour ago. "Haha yea..I got bored waiting for you to get here."

"Apparently," Bella murmured as she examined the rest of the room. Her eyes landed on the TV screen, still paused in the middle of "The Hangover". "The Hangover? I love that movie!" She threw herself onto the couch and hit play. I joined her.

As Bella enjoyed laughing at the overall strangeness that is "The Hangover", I lost myself in my thoughts. As much as I tried not to think about everything that had happened earlier today, I couldn't keep it off of my mind. I wondered how I was able to just jump right in and think of a way to save Bella from a vampire, something I thought only existed in children's tales and horror movies. I still don't know. I guess my instincts just took over. I wanted to help my friend, and the details didn't really matter. I don't think the full reality has hit me yet. I'm a little scared for when it does.

I really hate to admit this, but it's all a bit intriguing I guess.

Shaking my head, I turned my attention back to the movie. At one point, my dad walked in, waving at us and heading up to bed. Shortly after, Eric came stumbling through the doors, coughing. (I swear if that kid gets sick with the flu thereby getting me sick, because he can't leave his poor, sick girlfriend alone for a bit, I'm gonna kill him!) He gave Bella a hug, then went to his room as well.

As the credits started to role at the end of the movie, Bella turned the volume down and looked at her hands. "Emma…you know how I went out with the group and Jake tonight?"

I nodded, wondering where she was going with this.

"Well, it ended up being just me, Jake, and Mike and-"

"Really? Now that must have been hilarious!" I could see it now. Bella in an overstuffed movie theater seat, with Mike and Jake flanking her, both of them holding their hand out, willing her to take it. I seriously could not stop laughing. It was so normal! After everything that had happened in the past 24 hours, I welcomed this bit of information.

"It's not funny Emma." I stopped laughing. That uneasy feeling in the pit of my stomach was back. "Jacob was acting really funny. He ran off in the middle of the movie after Mike got sick…and he hasn't answered any of my calls since."

"That's weird…" Since when did Jake not answer Bella's calls? He had a massive crush on her didn't he? "Do you want to try him again?"

Bella looked hesitant. "I guess."

"Well here!" I said, trying to be upbeat. "While you do that, I'm gonna go find something to cheer you up! Be right back!"

I hopped up and hurried from the room as Bella put the phone to her ear. I sprinted up the stairs. I couldn't get to my room fast enough! Once there, I pried open the loose floor board in my closet and grabbed a couple of huge bags from my secret stash of goodies.

"I've been waiting to dig into these for a really long time, Bella!" I said as I threw the big bags of Swedish Fish, Doritos, and cheese dusted popcorn onto the coffee table. "I've been hiding them from my dad and Eric since forever!"

Bella looked much happier now. "I talked to Billy. He said that Jacob just has the flu."

"Oh, good! See? There's nothing to worry about!"

Except for the unidentified vampire that was just in your house. Oh, and that Embry is a werewolf. And Jacob might become one too. Oh, and that your ex and his family drink blood. And that all of this should not be happening in real life! Absolutely nothing to worry about. HA.

I kind of wonder how Bella would have reacted if I had legitimately said that.

Bella went to work on the Swedish Fish, and I popped a new movie into the DVD player, too full after my junk food session with Embry to eat anymore.

About midway through the movie, Bella was dead asleep on the couch. Right as I was about to doze off on my favorite loveseat, I was awakened by the sound of my cell phone. I stumbled around the room for it, still half asleep.

I finally found it under the couch. I hit the unlock button then winced at the bright screen. When my eyes finally adjusted enough to read it, the screen said: **One New Text Message.**

I hit **View**. It was from Embry. It was short, sweet, and to the point.

**From: Embry**

**Bella's house safe. Jake changing. No contact for a bit. What you know stays a secret. ~E**


	12. Chapter 12

**Hey guys! Here's another chapter! Thanks to everyone who is still reading this, even after my almost year-long lack of updating!**

**Reviews motivate me! :)))**

Chapter 12

A couple of weeks have passed since I had received Embry's message. I haven't heard from him once since. This surprises me because I would have thought that after the whole "unknown, potentially dangerous vampire lurking around Bella's house" thing, and the fact that he had left me hanging with the whole "Jake's changing" comment would be a good cause for contact. Apparently I was wrong.

And ok, I'm not going to lie, this whole supernatural thing still completely blows my mind. Don't worry; I've already had my mental breakdown about it, like right after Bella left, so you don't have to suffer through listening to me talk about that, I promise! But it would have been nice for him to simply check in on my mental health after a bombshell like that. But what do I know? Opps. I guess I'm laying it on a little think with the sarcasm. Anyways.

Since Jacob was now constantly "ill", as Bella was told, and, as far as everyone else knew, Embry and I were still in a fight, Bella and I had been hanging out together a lot more. In fact, after almost constant begging on my part, she's finally agreed to a shopping spree!

After my morning routine of brushing my teeth, washing my face, ect. I did my makeup and changed from my comfy sweats into my favorite skinny jeans and a flowy dark green top. I added some long necklaces to complete my ensemble and when I caught sight of how short on time I was, decided to leave my naturally wavy hair alone, adding some woven headbands. Just as I finished, Bella pulled up in her old, red truck.

Shouting goodbye to Eric and Angela who were sitting on the couch watching a movie (this early? Wow…) sprinted out the door and hopped into the passenger seat. We were off!

It was a chilly day and the heat was going full blast. Luckily, the rain decided to hold off, and we made it to Seattle in record time.

We stepped into the mall, and I looked around, excited. I hadn't been to a mall this big in such a long time! I could feel my "emergency" credit card practically burning a hole in my purse. I looked at Bella, who seemed completely overwhelmed.

"Let's go!" I shouted. I was afraid that, if given too long to think about it, she would insist on leaving. I grabbed her arm, and soon we were tearing apart my favorite stores!

After about four stores and ten shopping bags later, Bella started to complain that she was hungry. I looked at LCD screen on my cell phone: 1:45pm. No wonder she was hungry!

Since she had been so corporative with shopping this morning, I let Bella choose where we would eat. I was in luck, as she headed for a popular burger joint connected to the mall.

We sat down and the young waitress came and asked for our drink order. After she left and we had looked over the menus, I looked around the restaurant. There were random pictures all over the walls, giving the place a personal feel. I liked it. More important to me than the décor however, were our fellow diners.

See, when I was younger, my mom and I had been completely bored at one of her then-boyfriend's formal dinners, that, while he was distracted with others at our table, we made a game out of people-watching. Who could find the person doing the weirdest thing, the cutest guy there, the young couple on their first date…anything goes. Now, every time I am at a restaurant, I can't help but think about this game.

"What are you looking at?" Bella asked me.

I explained the game to her, and she was eager to play.

"Look at that guy, three seats in at the bar! See him?" I nodded, stifling a laugh. Bella had definitely won the prize for finding the person doing the weirdest thing! A man was sitting at the bar. He had ordered drinks for himself and his sock puppet. Both would "drink" at the same time. They also seemed to be having a pretty serious argument. It was hysterical!

After playing for awhile, I noticed one of the waiters who had been serving a table near ours. He was cute, wavy blond hair, tall, muscular physique. He looked over at me while I was observing him, caught my eye, and winked. I blushed and pointed him out to Bella when he turned around. We both agreed he was the cutest one there.

"Hi, ladies!" Our waitress was finally back. "I just wanted to let you know that my shift just ended so I will no longer be helping you! Your new waiter's name is Damon. He's so nice! He'll be over to get your food order soon!" With that, she pranced away.

Within minutes, "Damon" approached our table. As these things always go, he was the cute waiter who had winked at me earlier. He was even hotter up close. His eyes were so blue!

"Sorry about the wait. I'm Damon. Can I get your order?"

When he had gotten our requests and left the table, Bella reached across the table and grabbed my arm. "Oh my Gosh! Was it just me, or could he not stop staring at you!" This was the most girly and excited I had seen her act in a long time. Maybe it was all the shopping…

She was right though. Damon checked on our table more than he did any of the others. He made small talk whenever he was around, and I would catch him sneaking peeks from across the room. When we were done eating, he brought the bill.

"So what are you ladies doing today?" he asked as he was picking up the little books with our payment in them. Even though he was addressing both of us, he was looking right at me.

"Oh, just a little shopping. Girl's day." I answered. I couldn't help but smile.

"Oh! Need a little break from your boyfriend then?"

Bella immediately started snickering and choked on her water in the process of trying to stop. I could tell she was going to give me such a hard time on the way home!

It was such an obvious move, but my stomach started to flutter anyways. "I'm currently single…"

"Really? I find that hard to believe!" He broke eye contact and looked at the payment books. "I'll be right back with these."

"Don't say a word!" I said to the still giggling Bella.

"He is so into you!" She quipped.

Damon was back in record time. "Thanks for coming in!" He paused, "Actually, I never got your names."

"Bella."

"Emma."

"Well, Bella, Emma, have a great day!" He flashed us his amazing smile one more time and walked away, disappearing into the kitchen. I opened my little book to retrieve my credit card, and gasped at the sight of the receipt.

"Bella! Look at this!"

She took the receipt and started laughing. "I told you so, Emma! I was so right!"

On the receipt, a guy's handwriting read: **Call me! Damon: 206-555-4273**.

"So? Are you going to?"

I grinned as I entered the number into my cell. "We'll see!" I said, even though I already knew my answer. I needed something normal right now. Who knows, a new man might be just the thing!

**Well! There you go! Reviews are amazing! 3 3 3**


	13. Chapter 13

**I AM SOOOOOOO SORRY FOR NOT UPDATING. Not that it's an excuse, but I have been insanely busy! I've moved twice and UGHHHHH no time!**

**Please read and review!**

**I promise to update again soon!**

Nervous. That's the best way to describe how I'm feeling. And why shouldn't I be? I haven't been on a date in over a year. With my mom's constant insistence upon moving around, I didn't allow myself to get close to anyone just to pick up and leave again. It was easier with nothing to leave behind. But now, well, I knew I'd be in Forks for the next year and a half, so I figured it wouldn't hurt to test my luck a bit…

Ok fine, I'll admit it, I'm eager for a distraction from this entire Jacob/werewolf/vampire situation. I like being in this normal world more; I can control things in it, I understand more of it.

Plus, Damon is hot.

After over a week of texting and a few phone conversations, I finally had agreed to a dinner date. I had no idea where we were going, but Damon had told me to wear a dress.

I spent all afternoon getting ready, and it had paid off: For once in my life I was ahead of schedule. Damon was set to arrive in about ten minutes.

I was sitting on the couch in my front room getting more anxious by the minute. I kept bouncing my right leg up and down while picking at my hand in my lap and glancing at the clock.

Right as the hand on my dad's big grandfather clock turned to signal 7:00pm, my phone started to vibrate from within my beaded clutch. I pulled it out and read the caller ID: Embry.

"Hello, Embry." I could hear the chill in my voice. I realized I was still irritated about the whole "no contact" thing.

"Emma, something's happened…."

Right then I heard a knock on my front door. I looked out the window and saw a royal blue Toyota Camry. Damon was here, right on time.

"Embry, I'm busy. Talk to you later."

I snapped my phone shut, grabbed my bag, and hurried to answer the door. Lucky for me (not), Eric had beat me to it and was grilling him about past traffic infractions, where we would be, what time he would have me home, if he knew the area well enough to drive…The questions were definitely rolling, and Damon was starting to look a bit overwhelmed.

"Bye, Eric!" I said loudly, shooting him a death glare as a walked past him. I grabbed Damon's arm, pulling him behind me, and we made our escape.

He opened the car door for me, then ran around and got in himself. "Sorry about him," I said as Damon pulled out of our driveway and headed for the interstate. "Apparently he decided to play dad tonight."

Damon laughed. "Don't worry about it! Where was your dad anyways? I should have introduced myself."

"He's on a business trip until Wednesday, you can meet him when he comes back."

"So that means a get a date number two then?" He winked at me.

"We'll see!" I teased. "So where are we going anyways?"

"You're not a vegetarian are you?"

"Nope..."

"Well good, because we definitely can't go wrong with steak! Trust me, this place is delicious."

We spent the rest of the thirty minute drive talking pleasantly, though the conversation did slow a bit at times. I couldn't help but think about how Jake and I never seemed at a loss for conversation.

No. Stop. Don't even think that, Emma. Ridiculous. Damon is a perfectly nice boy. Do not compare him to Jacob. Jacob is only a friend. You haven't even seen him in weeks. My mind was working overtime tonight. I briefly thought of what Embry could have wanted.

Before I had time to wonder about it any further, we pulled up to this massive brick restaurant. I started to get nervous again. What if I spilled something? An embarrassing thing like that would definitely happen to me. I tend to have bad luck, as can be made perfectly clear by this random mythical creatures being real drama. Ugh.

Damon opened the door for me and helped me out. I realized that with Eric's mortifying display back at the house, I hadn't even gotten a chance to look at him properly, so I took the opportunity now.

His wavy hair was neatly styled, and the blue of his eyes matched his tie. The contrast looked great against his white button down shirt, black slacks, and black dress shoes. In short, he looked extremely handsome.

He seemed to have the same idea, as I caught him looking at me.

"You look stunning!" He said when I raised my eyebrows at him.

I smiled. I'd gone shopping specifically for this date, and was very pleased with the black one shoulder, fountain sleeved dress I had found. It fell to mid-thigh, the perfect length to show some leg, but not reveal too much. The black beaded top-edge matched my heels perfectly. I had accentuated the dress with a light smoky eye shadow job, deep purple nail polish, and hair braided back into a half ponytail with curled ends.

"Thank you! You gave me an excuse to dress up, and I always love that! You look very handsome yourself!"

He blushed slightly, and offered his thanks.

The conversation during dinner kept at a steady pace. We talked about my move from Paris ("quite interesting…"), my family ("embarrassing, but they try"), his family ("one older sister, my parents are still together"), his private school outside of Seattle ("stuffy and boring…."), his job ("a year or so at this point"), and countless other things. The restaurant was as stunning on the inside as it was one the outside, and Damon was right, the food was delicious! I was having a fantastic time.

While we waited for dessert to come out, I made a quick bathroom run. I stood in front of the mirror and smiled because my hair still looked flawless. That never, ever happens. I reached into my bag to get some lip gloss.

"Ugh!" I muttered as I lost my grip on the bag and it clattered to the floor, sending the contents flying. I hurried across the bathroom collecting things, grateful I was alone. I grabbed my phone and noticed that the little green light on the front was flashing, indicating that I had a new notification. I stared at it, wondering if I should look or just go back to the dining area and check it when I got home.

Curiosity got the best of me, and I flipped the phone open.

I gasped, surprised. I had sixteen new text messages from Embry, seven from Jacob, and five new voicemails. I thought back to Embry's earlier call. Come to think of it, he did seem really upset. My stomach dropped. I shouldn't have hung up on him.

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	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

I pounded the 1 key on my phone to dial my voicemail. When it finally went through, I punched in my passcode.

"You have…five…new voice messages…..To listen to your…new messages…press one now…"

That stupid automated voice always bothered me, but today it seemed to be working extra slow.

"Emma. It's Embry. I don't know why you hung up on me earlier, but you need to call me back. Right now. It's serious. Call me, Emma."

"I know you have your phone on, if you're just mad at me you need to get over it, I need your help!" Call me back!"

"Emma, pick your phone up! You have to call me back!"

"Emma, this is an emergency, why are you not picking up! Call me back right now!"

My stomach dropped some more, if that's even possible at this point. With each message, Embry seemed to be getting more frantic.

"Emma. It's Jacob. Something's happened with Bella. I know that you know what it involves. You need to answer your phone. We need your help."

Jacob's message seemed strangely calm after hearing Embry's, but I could hear the strain and the sound of a ton of worried voices in the background. Something had happened to Bella? With that many people in the background, it sounded like they were in the hospital. My mind started to race. What had happened?

Car crash?

Tripped and fell?

Smashed her finger in a door?

And why would they need my help? I'm a 16 year old girl.

Whatever it was, I'm sure that Charlie had it taken care of. I mean, he is the police chief, and Forks is a really, really small town. Plus, I reminded myself, Jacob and Embry were obviously there.

I took a deep breath to calm my frazzled nerves; those messages were left over an hour ago, whatever it was had probably been taken care of by now. Even so, I was really worried about Bella. I checked the multitude of texts, which offered no additional information.

I thought about calling Embry or Jacob back, but decided against it. Since it had already been a good hour since the last call, I figured it would be best to get Damon, pay, and leave immediately. I would call them on our way to Forks.

I shook my head slightly, took another deep breath, and arranged my face into what I hoped was a pleasant, rather than worried expression, and, walking slightly faster than normal, I reentered the dining area. As I was weaving through the candlelit tables, I remembered something strange from Jacob's voicemail.

"…I know you know what it involves…"

How could I know what it involves? I hadn't seen or even really talked to Bella since I had forced her to come shopping for the dress I was currently wearing almost three days ago. And she had seemed fine then.

I realized I hadn't been paying attention to where I was going, and looked up just in time to run head first into a concerned looking Damon.

"There you are! You've been gone for a long time; I was just coming to see if everything was alright. I was worried."

He looked at me again, and his brow furrowed with worry. "Are you feeling ok? You're really pale."

"Umm…" I stammered, "My friend, you know, the one I was at lunch with when you met me, had an accident of some sort. I really should get home. I need to make sure she is ok."

His eyebrows raised in surprise. "Of course! Let me pay and I'll meet you out front!"

Luckily, Damon was quick about it, and we were in the car en route to Forks in a matter of minutes.

"So…what happened to your friend, if you don't mind my asking?"

"To be perfectly honest, I'm not sure. I wasn't told much. It doesn't sound terrible, but it doesn't sound good. I wish I knew more." I responded, thinking again about Jake's odd statement.

He nodded seriously.

"I'm sorry about cutting our dinner short. I really did have a good time."

"I understand. You're friend's in trouble. I like that you're loyal." He paused, "If you had such a good time, does that mean I get that second date you mentioned earlier?"

I grinned, my fears forgotten for about half a second as I responded, "I think we can make that work."

He returned the grin, and then turned his attention back to the road. "Great!"

With the conversation stopped, my fears returned. I contemplated calling the boys as I willed the car to move faster. Impatient, I leaned over to catch a glimpse of the speedometer. It read 95mph.

I gasped.

"What?" Damon looked concerned.

"Nothing, it's just that, wow, you're driving so fast!" Suddenly worried that the comment might offend him, I began to backtrack, babbling, "Not that I'm not happy about that since we will get home faster, it's just that I've never been in a car going so fast before! Well, I mean, except for this one time I was going shopping with my friend Alice. She really, really likes to go fast! It kinda scared me sometimes to be honest, but she was always in complete con_."

I stopped.

Alice.

The Cullens.

Vampires.

Oh. My. God. My heart began to beat heavily within my chest. My palms got all sweaty, and I suddenly felt the amazing urge to lose my expertly cooked dinner.

How. In the world. Could I have missed that!

Of course that's what Jacob's comment in the voicemail meant! He was referencing my nightmare of a real make believe world. He was referencing vampires and werewolves.

If he knew, he must have transformed…

Of course he'd transformed! He's been "sick" for weeks; no one has seen him. Of course. Of course.

You would think that with the abnormalness, vampires and werewolves would be the first thing I would think of, but the concept of those things being real was still foreign to me. I'm still disappointed it took me this long. I guess I must have known all along. That was why I kept going back to Jacob's elusive statement. Sometimes, I guess it's just easier for your mind to pretend that something isn't happening then to face it right away.

I was so far off with the jammed finger theory.

Ok, so a vampire was probably around. That's why Embry was upset. Why was he so upset? The only vampires in the area were the Cullens, and they had moved.

I remembered the night I had found out about this whole werewolf thing. The Cullens were not the only vampires who had been in this area. My stomach clenched. The vampire that snuck into Bella's room. The one they didn't know.

"Emma," Damon's concerned voice startled me out of my revere, "Are you ok? You look like someone just punched you in the stomach. Do you need me to slow down, or pull over? Because I can."

"No. No, no, no, no, keep going! I have to get home!"

"Umm…ok? Is everything alright?

NO! NO, EVERYTHING WAS NOT ALRIGHT!

"Yes, everything's fine. I'm just worried about Bella."

"Don't worry, I'll have you there soon. I'm so sorry this happened."

"Me too." I murmured.

Now that I had put it all together, I had gone from being worried to being absolutely terrified. Yet, one thing still didn't make sense. Why did they need my help? I was no match against a vampire! I didn't even know they existed until about a month ago!

My phone started to vibrate. I jumped and looked at the caller I.D.

Jacob.


	15. Chapter 15

**Special thanks to everyone who read and reviewed! I love to hear your idea and opinions! Specifically ****MooNOrchiD**** for your multiple chapter reviews! Also, thanks to everyone who added this story to their favorite and alerts. **

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**THANK YOU!**

"Jake! What's wrong, what happened?"

"Emma, why didn't you answer your phone?"

We both shouted into our respective phone at the same time.

"I was on a date!" I answered, impatient, "But that's not the important thing right now! What happened to Bella?"

"She's gone," he said simply.

"Gone?"

Bella was dead? How? Weren't they supposed to be protecting her? Before I could get any further, I felt tear fall down my cheek.

"Yes. To Italy."

"Italy?" I froze. Bella was ok? She was safe? They mislead me, and made me worry all night for a surprise VACATION?

"My GOD, Jacob!" I shouted as relief flooded my system, "You couldn't have said that in your messages? I was having a perfectly lovely evening, and you and Embry made it seem like something serious was happening! I thought she had been seriously hurt or that the vamp…" I looked over at Damon and immediately switched my words around, "…she had been kidnapped or something! Seriously! Was that really necessary?"

"Emma, I..."

I cut him off, not finished yet.

"And, really! TWENTY THREE MESSAGES and FIVE VOICEMAILS? That's a little excessive for a surprise trip, don't you think! You are both absolutely ridiculous! Is that what constitutes as big news here? I knew this town was small, but really? And an emergency? Let's be honest, it's not an emergency! And YOU! You, and your obscure little riddles making me think something dangerous is involved, and yes," my tone turned high, mocking his previous statement, "I know you know what I'm talking about!"

I stopped to catch my breath and Jacob took advantage of the momentary silence.

"Are you done yet?"

"No!" Oh, he made my blood boil. Stupid Jacob Black. Overreacting and ruining my date. "But since I have my poor date in the car with me, I will spare you from more right now. Be prepared though. Embry too!"

"I don't think you'll want to do that after I tell you the whole story."

"Oh really, Jacob?" I oozed, sarcasm dripping from every word, "And what would that be?"

"You said there's someone in the car with you?"

"Yes, my extremely handsome, nice date!" I said haughtily. So what if I wanted to make him a bit jealous?

"I can't tell you then. When will you be home? We'll come to your house."

"It's late."

"It's only nine thirty, and we are at Bella's, so we're close."

"Why are you at her house if she's in Italy? My God, you make no sense."

"I'll explain later."

"No, you'll explain now."

"I'll see you in half an hour, Emma."

"No, you won't!"

It was too late, he had already hung up.

I huffed and snapped my phone shut.

"What was that all about?" Damon inquired from the driver's seat.

"I'm so sorry you had to hear that. Apparently Bella just decided to take a last minute vacation to Italy and didn't tell them far enough in advance and it turned into some tragedy. I'm so sorry. I should have called and asked what had happened before I cut our date short. I just assumed that it was really bad by the number of times I was contacted about it in under two hours."

"You're fine; it just gives me an excuse to take you out again. I'm glad your friend is ok."

"Me too. I still can't believe they did that."

"Who?"

"Jacob and Embry. Me and Bella's friends from the reservation. They were the ones who had me under the impression something really bad had happened."

"Oh, I see." He thought for a few seconds, "Hey, so, since your friend is alright, do you have to be home right away?"

I thought about Jake, and the fact that he and Embry would be waiting. I wanted to hear their reasoning, especially since it was so out of character, but I was still angry at them for overreacting.

"Nope!"

"Want to go get dessert, since we left the restaurant before it came?"

"Dessert sounds lovely!"

Within a few minutes we were inside an old fashioned diner, sitting at a bar style counter. Instead of alcohol behind the bar, there were multiple freezers with every single kind of ice cream you could possibly imagine.

"Bacon ice cream? I dare you to try it!"

"No way! That sounds so nasty!" Damon protested.

"But I thought guys loved bacon!" I joked, winking at him.

"Oh, I do. But bacon and ice cream are two things that should never mix!"

"I'll try it."

"No way," He said in disbelief.

I proved him wrong by asking for a sample when prompted by the employee behind the counter. I popped the tiny, white spoon coated in dark brown ice cream into my mouth and made a face.

Bacon ice cream was absolutely vile!

"So? What do you think?" Damon inquired.

"I think," I paused to make another face as I caught some of the after taste, "You're right, ice cream and bacon should never mix!"

We both laughed, and ordered our ice cream. I was having a great time again, despite the less than perfect date. I was so glad I was able to salvage it.

After eating the delicious cones, Damon took me home. I frowned as I noticed Jake's motorcycle parked outside my house.

"Let me walk you to the door," Damon said as he opened the passenger door for me. Such a gentleman!

"Thanks for the great night tonight! I'm so sorry it got interrupted!"

"Don't even mention it! I had an amazing time with you!"

I glanced over at Jake's bike, then turned to Damon and did something completely out of character. "Are you gonna kiss me or not?"

He smiled and pulled me in closer, leaned down, and placed his lips on mine, just in time for the front door to open.

"Emma!" The voice sounded surprised and, was that a trace of hurt?

I was probably imagining that…or not.

I pulled away from Damon and looked to the entrance of my house, trying to act surprised at who I saw, even though I knew exactly who that voice belonged to.

"Oh, hello Jacob." I said as calmly as I could manage.

"You're late."

"Who are you, my father? I'm fine." I turned to Damon and gave him another kiss. I cringed slightly, Damon was a bit of a sloppy kisser. "Night, Damon, thanks again! I'll see you soon!"

With that, I bounded up the steps and pushed past Jacob into my house, feeling slightly guilty. I knew that I had only kissed Damon because I realized Jacob was close by. I had a great time with Damon, and he was really nice, but I never kissed on the first date, and now I had made him think I liked him more than I actually did at this point, and all because of stupid Jacob. Speaking of Jacob…

"What are you doing in my house?"

"Well, you were later than we thought, and it was easier to wait in here than on your street corner."

I looked at my couch, noticing Embry, who had answered instead of Jacob.

I rolled by eyes. "You guys ruined my date! I had to try and salvage it somehow!"

"That was your "amazing" date?" Jacob said from the entryway. "He wasn't that impressive."

Now it was Embry's turn to roll his eyes. "Anyways…"

I shot Jacob an angry look. He was leaning against the wall, a brooding look on his face, his arms crossed tightly over his chest. Was he pouting?

Apparently I wasn't the only one who thought he was. "Jake, snap out of it, we have to tell Emma what happened," Embry said.

"Yes, please do tell Emma why you completely horrified her and ruined her date." I said.

"Bella's gone," Jake said simply.

"Yes, Jake! To ITALY! I hardly think that's news."

"Bella jumped off a cliff."

"What?" I looked at Embry, somewhat shocked.

"She was trying to cliff dive. Jacob managed to save her."

"Now, THAT," I said, "Would have been worth multiple SOS calls. What does Italy have to do with this?"

"She went to Italy." Jacob offered, making it sound like a valid answer.

"Thanks, but I've gathered that."

Come to think of it, why would Bella go to Italy? Especially so suddenly, and in the middle of the school year?

"With Alice." He finished.

"What?"

Thankfully, Embry took over. Jacob was making no sense whatsoever.

"Bella was trying cliff jumping, something the reservation kids do often. At least, that's what she was doing according to her. She almost drowned. We think there was a vampire in the water."

"Not think!" Jake cut in, "Know!"

"We think it was the same one that was in her house a few weeks back, if you remember?"

How could I not?

"Yes…"

"That's beside the point, currently. I didn't tell you everything about vampires or the Cullens, Emma," He looked at me, trying to gauge my reaction before he continued, "Some of them have very specific…gifts. For example, Edward can read minds, and Jasper and sense and manipulate emotions. Alice can see the future once it's been decided."

"Just when I thought it couldn't get any more strange," I murmured. Suddenly, something fell into place. "Alice saw Bella jump off the cliff and thought she was committing suicide, didn't she?"

"Yes." Embry confirmed.

"Ok, that explains why Alice was here, but I'm still not understanding what Italy has to do with this. Did she go to see Edward?"

"Something like that."

"Care to explain?"

Now it was Jacob who spoke up. "I was here when Alice arrived. From what I gathered, Alice told Rosalie what she saw, who in turn told Edward, who now thinks Bella's dead."

I still didn't understand. "Ok, but if Alice saw Bella jump, she must have seen you save her, Jake."

"No, she didn't. She can't see us wolves, or anyone whose future intertwines with ours. So from what she saw, Bella died because her future wasn't available anymore. She didn't know about me."

"So she came here to see?"

"Correct. Edward called the house to confirm she had died. I answered and told him Charlie wasn't here, he was at a funeral."

"But Bella isn't dead?"

Embry spoke up, "One of his good friends on the reservation died. He was indeed at a funeral."

"Did you know it was Edward on the phone, Jacob?"

"Yes."

"Why did you not tell him it wasn't Bella's funeral? That was low!"

Jacob looked down, ashamed.

"Well, luckily Alice came and saw she was ok, and told Edward, right?"

Embry and Jacob looked at each other, each willing the other to speak.

"Right?" I repeated. "Jacob?"

"No," he finally said, "The overdramatic bloodsucker decided that he was going to kill himself because Bella died. Alice saw him making the plans for it. He wouldn't answer anyone. He still thinks she's dead."

I gasped. Jacob was right, it was a bit overdramatic. All I could think of was that this entire situation could have been easily avoided. "So she is going to go show him that she's really alive?"

"Yes."

"Well, that explains the sudden trip to Italy."

"There's more."

"Really? How much more strange can this get?"

"Edward is going to try and get the Volturi to kill him."

"I'm sorry, the who?"

"The Volturi. Basically the royalty of the vampire world."

"So?"

"Bella has gone to try and stop him, in their capital."

"I'm sorry," I said, starting to become overwhelmed by the entire thing, "I don't understand."

"Emma. Did you know about the existence of vampires before you came here and found out by sheer circumstance?" Embry asked.

"No…"

"That's exactly how the Volturi like it, and I doubt they'll welcome the idea of a young human girl knowing about their existence."

I was finally starting to see how dire this situation was. Bella's life was in danger. So was Edward's. The fear I had earlier that evening came back full force.

I turned to Jacob, "Why didn't you stop her! From what I gather, you could have put an end to this entire thing, and you made it worse!" I said angrily.

"I tried to stop her, I did!"

"And?"

"She rejected me. She chose him."

"Oh, you poor baby! How could you be so selfish!"

"I didn't know it would end up this way, Emma!" Jacob spat.

"Stop!" Embry raised his voice. Jacob and I looked at him, and then began to glare at each other from across the room.

"Look, we all know that this could have been avoided on multiple counts, not just Jacob's," Embry continued, "But the fact of that matter is that it wasn't. There's also another, unidentified vampire running around here. Emma, we were instructed to wait for you, and then take you with us to Sam's house to figure out a plan of action. We've already wasted enough time. Let's get going. Emma, you'll ride with me."

Embry and Jacob turned towards the door.

"No."

They both froze, and turned to face me.

"Excuse me?" Embry said.

"You heard me. I said no. I'm not going anywhere."

**Ok, so for those of you who don't know, I'm basically trying to keep to the VERY VERY general plotline of New Moon with some added characters and their point of view. So while it may not seem very original, this chapter does go with what I've had planned from the beginning of my story. Just thought I'd let you all know, even though I'm sure most of you have figured it out by now. **

**I hope you like it! Please review!**

**Thanks for reading! **


	16. Request

**Hi guys, I'll have another chapter up today, but I just want to ask you all to send prayers and/or good thoughts towards all those affected by the Aurora, Colorado movie theater shooting in the early hours of this morning. I spent a lot of time around Colorado with family and friends growing up and both CO and Aurora are very near and dear to me. Many, myself included, are still in shock over what transpired. The fact that things like this can happen are just sickening. **

**Much love to all those affected 3**


	17. Chapter 16

**I know I promised you a chapter last Friday, but something came up and I didn't have time to finish. This last week had been CRAZY, but I finally got enough time to finish and proofread this chapter, so enjoy!**

**Thanks to all who read and reviewed/put this story as a favorite or alert. Thanks to all who put me on author alert too!**

"What do you mean you're not going?" Embry looked at me, slightly confused.

I rolled by eyes. "You're smart enough, what do YOU think I mean when I say I'm not going, Embry?"

"But…you need to come; you don't understand the gravity of this situation."

"You know, I really don't care too much about the gravity of this situation. I had a lovely evening, despite your best efforts to ruin it," I looked pointedly first at Embry then at Jacob, "And I would rather like to return to reality and be a NORMAL girl who calls their best friend to dish all about an amazing first date, so forgive me if I don't want to be a part of your alternate reality anymore." I took a deep breath, and then added, "I don't even belong in that world anyways."

Embry pulled out his phone as I was speaking and, after checking the front screen, he appeared even more concerned. He turned to me, pleading with his eyes, begging me to understand as he said, "You said you want to talk about normal things with your best friend? Well, I hate to break it to you, but your best friend is miles and miles away in Italy, saving her vampire boyfriend! Any friendship with Bella is never going to be normal, as much as you want it to be. Your best friend also has no time to listen to you talk about your "fabulous date" because, as you very well know, Emma, she has another, unknown potentially dangerous vampire in this area trying to hunt her down. Vampires are like wolves, we have an increased sense of smell; they use scents to help them track down what they are looking for. And it just so happens that you hang out with Bella a lot!"

He stopped, and looked at his phone again. "Please, Emma, we are running out of time!"

"Of course I hang out with Bella a lot! So what?" I yelled, addressing the only normal thing that just came out of this mouth.

Embry let out an exasperated sigh, "Can you at least come and let me explain on the way there?"

"No."

I could see a little bit of panic begin to cross his hardened features. He looked over to Jacob for support. Oddly enough, Jacob hadn't said a word since I had announced that I was not leaving my house. He had simply frozen in his place, arms limp at his side, staring at me intently. It was a bit unnerving, to be perfectly honest.

When it didn't seem as though he was going to say something anytime soon, Embry turned back to me. "Put it together, Emma. Vampires use scents to hunt their prey. There is an unknown vampire hunting Bella. You hang out with Bella. Bella stays in your house often. Bella's scent is all over this place. Nothing gets in the way of a vampire and its prey."

"If you want me to come with you so bad, stop telling me to figure it out on my own and just TELL ME! You make no sense. I am done with this conversation. Get out of my house."

I turned on my heel and marched towards the stairs, ready to put this all behind me, wanting just a little bit of time to myself to process everything that had transpired tonight, to deal with it and then put it behind me. I reached my room, slammed the door behind me, and flopped down on my bed. I stared at the expansive, white ceiling above me as everything that I had been keeping at bay since I had said goodbye to Damon earlier that night came rushing to the forefront of my mind. Of everything that I could have focused on, the one thing that that stood out the most, that my mind kept repeating, was that this entire ordeal was all Eric's fault.

Everything had set itself up perfectly for a fabulous life in Italy. It was all there: The money, the shopping, the food, the culture, and my mom, who had finally found someone that she genuinely loved, who genuinely loved her back. I would have had a father figure who had, before we even moved to Italy, already treated me like his own, rather than my dad, who I loved, but that I just couldn't forget had chosen my brother over me. I would have learned a new language, would have made normal friends; had a normal life. If Eric hadn't run his mouth, I would be living in perfect harmony, happy, in a world that made sense. Instead, I'm here. In boring Forks, Washington, which, as it turns out, really isn't that boring after all because it's the setting of a modern day, long lost Grimm Brothers fantasy! Vampires, werewolves, "evil", "good", century long feuds and mystical contracts…sure, it had all the drama I could want, but it wasn't the kind of drama that I was expecting. Because of Eric, I was pulled into it, and now have no way to escape it, while he is still stuck in a world of ignorant bliss, not knowing what's been right under his nose for his entire life.

I used my left foot to free my right from the fabulous back high heels I had been so excited about just mere hours ago, and then did the same with the other as I tried to relax. I wasn't sure how I felt. I mean, how was I supposed to feel after the night's events? I knew I was mad at Eric for bringing me to Forks in the first place. I knew I was irritated with Embry for making no sense and thinking he could control me. I knew I was angry at him for changing from the guy whose company I loved, to someone who made me feel stupid and ignorant. I knew I was mad at Jacob for scaring Edward and putting Bella in the situation she was in, and that I was mad at him for not speaking up for once in his life downstairs. I was sad for Bella, because I knew what was going through her head, that she wanted him to come back, and what a wreck she would be after having to leave Edward again, if that was what it came to. I was scared for Edward: Even though he wasn't the most personable person ever, he was still a friend and the thought of him committing suicide was terrifying. And, as awful as it is, I really wanted to be excited and giddy because I had a really good date a nice guy, despite the obvious lack of kissing skills. Should I allow myself to be excited over that, or was it inappropriate for the situation...I just don't know!

Most of all, I was homesick. Not really homesick; more like momsick. My mom and I had been through so much. She was my rock. She always put me first, despite her constant desire to uproot us. I missed travelling with her, us against the world. We were always there for each other, no matter what, and now I was in a massive mess, confused, not sure what was real, in way over my head, and she was an ocean away. I needed my mom.

What a mess.

A snapping twig from outside startled me out of my revere. I turned my head to the right, wondering why I was able to hear a twig snap. My window was open. Odd. I never opened my window. My dad didn't have screens on them, and I didn't want animals or bugs, or unforetold precipitation to get into my room. Maybe Eric opened them because he thought it was stuffy? I sighed, he was always complaining about how the indoors is so confining, and that we should try and get out into nature more often. I blame my dad for their routine camping and fishing trips throughout the year.

After a momentary hesitation during which I battled again my body's desire to stay where it was and continue to unwind (basically my laziness), I stood up to close the window. If I didn't do it now, I would forget, and, with my luck, we would have a really awful storm tonight and I would wake up to a soaking wet room.

I slowly made my way to the window, my legs, sore from the heels, protesting all the way. As I approached the window, I peered up to see if there were any stars out tonight. I loved stars, they reminded me how small we really were compared to the universe, and that whatever I was struggling with maybe wasn't as bad as I thought. They made me feel like the world was smaller, that I was closer to my mom. Unfortunately, there was thick cloud cover tonight, and I it smelled like it often did before it began to rain. Good thing I decided to close the window. Before I could though, something caught my eye. I have a massive tree right outside my window, which I love because it gives me more privacy. There seemed to be a faint blob on the side furthest from my window. Strange, I've never seen that before. I couldn't quite make it out. I could feel that knot of fear from earlier building up in my stomach; I wish I hadn't made Jake and Embry leave, being home alone didn't appeal to me for once. I swear that blob was never there before…I leaned out the window to get a closer look, but stopped and shook my head…I was just paranoid because of everything that had happened lately. That blob was a shadow, I'm sure. It was just a shadow or a reflection off of something. I'm being ridiculous.

I retreated, pulling my upper torso back through the open window, and reached up to pull the heavy glass down. Almost simultaneously, the white "reflection" shifted and my door burst open behind me. I started to whip around, see who had entered my room, but the next thing I knew, I was flying through the air, back across my room. My head hit something hard, really, hard. I heard a ripping sound and glass shatter, and then the world went black.

**Hope you enjoyed it, please read and review! I love to hear your questions/comments/concerns!**


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